Member-only story
I used to be a shy introvert and was mortified by the idea of initiating conversation with someone new.
It was too intimidating, so I just avoided people in general.
I wanted to break into the world of socializing, but it seemed like an impossible task with all the self-doubt that constantly swirled through my head. That’s when I decided that instead of avoiding people, I would approach them.
I would force myself to make conversation with the next stranger I saw.
The first time I did, it was a disaster!
My heart was racing and I was shaking as I approached this random woman in a coffee shop.
Her name was Christine and we talked for over an hour about all sorts of things like her job, the book she was reading, why she moved to Portland… and so much more.
It wasn’t remotely awkward; it was one of the best conversations I’ve ever had. I still keep in touch with her to this day!
I was ecstatic that I didn’t screw it up, so I decided to do it again with a different stranger, and so on and so on.
Making conversation became the go-to solution for everything in my life from boredom to loneliness.
